The event was Sponsored by New York Interconnect, the VAB, Premion, iSpot.tv, Locality, Kochava, Kargo, wurl, ARF Dash TV Universe Study, and Imagine Communications. 

In case you missed it, dive into the short summaries of our favorite sessions below.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 27th 

Keynote Session With Jamie Lumley, Third Bridge Group Limited

When asked by moderator Lynn Leahey, editorial director at Cynopsis, about the challenges and opportunities in the industry, Jamie Lumley, an analyst at Third Bridge Group Limited emphasized that both revolve around the ongoing shift from traditional media to streaming, with cord-cutting and the rise of streaming companies.

The current cost of living has led consumers to be more lenient when it comes to choosing ad-tier models. Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown led to them seeing a subscriber increase of 100,000, and it looks like Amazon Video is now following in their footsteps.

“The big question facing the ecosystem today is as streaming continues to elevate, does the new media space have the same overall pie that traditional has? We don’t have the answer just yet, so as we continue to discuss finding this balance, finding the right way to build up these businesses is one of the key areas here,” Lumley explained.

What about local news and major sports, you’re wondering? According to Lumley, this has been a big area for the industry. “Different players are thinking about what sports rights they can afford. News will increasingly be a part of the streaming experience, and whether that can drive audiences to streaming is a big question.”

Finding a Cross-Platform Measurement Fit 

In the words of Andrea Zapata, EVP and head of ad sales research, measurement and insights at Warner Bros. Discovery, the way God intended for us to watch TV was on our big TV screens, but now we consume it on various devices. Moderator Sean Cunningham, President and CEO of the VAB, led an engaging discussion where both executives outlined their measurement solutions. 

“From the start at Warner Bros. Discovery, we were very clear that there are two different ways that you can activate against linear television,” Zapata explained. “One is using more data-driven tactics, and the other is how you measure it or, ultimately, how you transact against it.”

The research has shown this trend where content is being captured everywhere. “My sons are on the iPad more than the big TV,’ Jason Swartz, VP, advanced advertising, New Business, and National Sales at New York Interconnect. “We need better transparency for streaming,” Swartz continued, “so we are pushing way ahead of others to get reporting at the network level to understand how to place programmatic streaming programs in a specific space to find the audience.”

CTV’s Resilience: Reflecting on 2023, Charting 2024’s Path for Advertisers 

While 2023 has been a year of resiliency and growth for streaming, the ecosystem must focus on taking the consumer-centric approach. Now is the time, more than ever, to pay more attention to your consumers’ needs and values and ensure that they align with your marketing priorities. 

Yakira Young, content manager at AdMonsters, sat down with John Vilade, Head of Sales at Premion. When asked about the convergence shift and implications for sellers and advertisers, Vilade replied, “Sellers need good experience in selling both linear and streaming. If not, you’ll be left behind.”

He predicted 2024 to be a better year in advertising as we know it, considering the political election and Olympics taking place in the same year. His exact words were, “Streaming will win elections in 2024.”

According to Vilade, Premion has already started having conversations with government officials in DC, and there will be a bigger investment in streaming with this upcoming election. All in all, streaming is an interactive platform with an interactive audience. Buyers and sellers need to take advantage of this. 

Steaming’s New Wave

By now, we’ve recognized that many CTV services and platforms are moving to an aggregated world. We saw this with Disney, Hulu and, ESPN, and Warner, and then HBOMax became Max and brought in the Discovery content. At this point, we also can search movie titles straight from our CTV platform.

There’s no doubt that streaming continues to grow in popularity. With this in mind, Verna Coleman, VP of brand partnerships and B2B Marketing at Canela Media, highlighted that for her and her team, reaching their audience “is all about the growth of the audience as the consumer population continues to rise.” 

To adapt to changing audience behaviors, Bloomberg recently launched Bloomberg originals. “We did this in February with the intent of pulling some of that existing viewership that we have and extending their engagement and bringing in a little bit of a broader younger audience as well, “Travis Winkler, GM of video & audio at Bloomberg Media, explained. Originals focus on docuseries, docu-style content, and talk shows.

Chicken Soup for the Soul leans on a few things at its fingertips when sharing its core audience of about 40 million with the brands they work with. “We have the robot kiosk, which is a huge DOOH opportunity. Millions of people walk past it daily,” Maura Gray, SVP of marketing at Chicken Soup for the Soul, explains. “It leads to a huge marketability considering about 50% are signing up with their emails.”

Unlock the Power of Local TV: Combining the Value of Broadcast and Streaming

Local TV is often overlooked, but this reminds us that it is still at the forefront of our industry. Ann Hailer, President of Broadcast at Locality, and Keith Kazerman, President of Streaming at Locality, highlighted that most consumers live close to their homes, and retail planning is based on location intelligence and foot traffic. 

“The concert of national marketing versus that local partnership or that local decision has to come with marketing that is tailored to that local marketplace,” Hailer explained. 

The panelists weighed in on the challenges in unifying streaming platforms at the local level and the value of local news in building trust and brand reputation. They discussed the role of programmatic and acknowledged its benefits but also emphasized the importance of a consultative approach and human intelligence in understanding local nuances. 

Moderator Albert Thompson, Managing Director of Digital at Walton Isaacson, mentioned programmatic and how he thinks programmatic needs to fix and address many things. 

“Everything we do is automated, and that solves many of the complexities concerning programmatic at Locality,” Kazerman said. 

How to Reach Sustainability Goals

Barber Lange Principal and CEO of Kibo121 and Dr. Laura Marks, Professor at Simon Fraser University talked about sustainability in the media industry, focusing on the significant carbon footprint and energy consumption associated with content creation, manipulation, and distribution. 

The pair emphasized the need for measures to reduce the environmental impact, highlighting the rising energy use of information communication technology (ICT) and the consequences of streaming. 

“The bigger the production, the more carbon footprint you have, our goal is to do more with less over time,” Lange stated. “Virtual productions are one way content creators can get around some of the energy issues, use your existing footage.”

“Film in lower resolution so that when you compress it, you won’t have to work so hard, the carbon footprint of streaming is due to devices,” Marks mentioned.

THURSDAY, SEPT 28th 

Where Art Thou, Gen Z?

The impact of Gen Z’s entertainment consumption is a trending topic. Viewing habits have drastically changed, and while demystifying Gen Z won’t happen, we can work to understand them better. 

“Brands and marketers must allow themselves to be criticized, but also stand out as a brand,” Drew Corry, SVP, group director of Strategic Investment and Marketplace Strategy at MAGNA. “From a content perspective, think about how you can get scripted to work in the context of social media.” 

Let Hali Anastopoulo tell it, Gen Z knows authenticity like they know their ABCs. As co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Get Me Out Productions, she comprehends the significance of your values being reflected in your content. “It’s really important to be authentic with the content you’re making, the messaging, the marketing, and the campaigns you run,” she said. 

Taryn Crouthers, President of ATTN: suggests thinking about how Gen Z is consuming content. “When casting for this audience, you don’t need a big A-list celebrity but those with a strong niche following. 

Key takeaway? Trust and authenticity go a long way when reaching and engaging with Gen Z audiences. 

Pay Attention!

The Q&A went both ways when Angelina Eng, VP of Measurement, Addressability, and Data Center at IAB, and Brian Lin, SVP of Product Management at TelevisaUnivision, took the stage together. It made for exciting dialog, listening to them share their insights regarding attention-based measurement. 

Eng broke down the three ways she thinks about attention and measurement, those are: 

1. Physiological and neurological – Eye tracking, brainwaves, heart rate, blood pressure, anything that can be connected in a media lab, device, or camera. 
2. Data proxy – Signals coming specifically from a device or passed by publishers. It could be around behavior, engagement, and through a CTV system, laptop, or a mobile device.
3. Cognitive and emotional data – focus groups, brain awareness studies, brand health studies, et cetera.

“Attention measurement is still in its infancy, and defining attention has been challenging, which is why we are looking at the three above approaches,” Eng said. 

“I think it’s extremely interesting from a product standpoint. We must continue going against the grain of looking for opportunities to reach the marketer’s goal. We have to continue to experiment and grill those data providers by asking the hard questions,” Lin explained. 

Artificial Intelligence: It’s Personal

On a panel moderated by Kristin Wnuk, SVP of Sales at Madhive, each panelist agreed that there are opportunities for brands and advertisers to use AI. The moral of the story is it’s less about what tools we can make in AI and more about how it is permeating everything we do as consumers and professionals. 

Rich Frankel, Global Creative Director at Spotify Advertising, pointed out that AI will evolve at the speed of light. All we can do is be ready. “Understand what you’re letting AI look at to learn and how you’re managing the data it has access to,” Frankel suggests. 

“There’s a lot to be done and to be optimized. The people who will be the most successful are those who approach AI with curiosity. Curiosity is the beginning of creativity,” Nicky Lorenzo, SVP, Executive Creative Director of 305Worldwide, added. 

“2024 will be the year of targeting in terms of AI and influence,” Will Heins, Partner at Brandtech, closed us out with this. 

Finding – And Retaining – The Employees You Need Now

Karen Gray, EVP of HR and Head of DEI at A+E Networks, Artis Johnson, HRBSN Partner at TV One, and Christine Guilfoyle, President SEEHER, sat down to talk about the importance of empathy, honest conversations, and fostering a culture that values employees needs and perspectives. 

“Seen, heard, and valued are truly at the heart of what DEI&B strategies are about,” Guilfoyle said. The fully virtual mentorship dynamic had to reshape itself. I think the return to the office is amazing for Gen Z employees because of the mentor sponsorship aspect of it. I’m not sure they know what they’ve missed out on.”

“Employees are the reason we are here. They are the ones pushing out the work,” Johnson added. How can we exhibit a connection to a consumer or community if there is no community internally within the organization? In a hybrid environment, when employees challenge their higher-ups, it gives the executives no choice but to change how they manage. This is how growth happens at the top down.”

“Retaining employees saves money. If there’s a revolving door, there is no retention,” Gray said.

What A Brand Wants

Shortly after a quick beer and wine break, Betsy Paynter, director of US Media at Heineken, Greg Miller, VP/account director of Eicoff, and Jeremy Herbert, VP of marketing at We Buy Any Car hashed out the need for brands to adapt and optimize their strategies for CTV with the evolving role of data at the forefront. 

“There’s a bit of a difference between performance marketing and brand marketing, but at the end of the day, everyone is very excited about how CTV will evolve in delivering data, Moderator Rachel Herskowitz, VP of Brand Partnerships at iHeartRadio, said. 

“Measurement regiment is better now than ever,” Miller pointed out. “You can certainly learn a lot, and there are tools out there today where you can put linear and CTV on the same plane.”

“I think the next stage is to get more joined up in our first-party data and the first-party data of media providers and the platforms. We can make beautiful things happen together,” said Herbert.

At Heineken, Paynter showcased the sensitivity about what they can and cannot buy into. “Context is super important, and I think having a more transparent view of what programming is doing well is super helpful,” she stated. 

Feel the Churn: Strategies for Boosting Subscriber Engagement 

When each panelist was asked the one thing they think needed to be fixed in order to increase subscriber engagement here is what they had to say:

Jon Giegengack Founder and Principal of Hub Entertainment Research: “Do a better job of showing people things that will interest them and surprise them in lieu of throwing everything at the wall and expecting that you’re going to win by volume.”

Eric Sorensen DIrector of Streaming VIdeo Tracker at Parks Associates: “We talked alout about personalization and I think there is certainly an opportunity to make it a better experience. I think we will see some consolidation that makes that process easier.”

Monica Williams SVP of Digital Products and Operations at NBC Unicersal: “Discovery experience is part of the total content experience, so I hope to see a deeper collaboration between publishers and platform partners in terms of support.”

The post Big Takeaways From Cynopsis’ 5th Annual Big TV Conference 2023 appeared first on AdMonsters.

Consumers encounter a digital ecosystem oversaturated with content and choices. This places advertisers and publishers on a perpetual quest to create an ideal and strategic viewer experience. And with the surge of online video consumption, the environment has become especially dynamic. 

As consumers spend more time online, their exposure to video ads grows, raising critical questions: Are consumers still paying attention to video ads? Do they consider video ads an unnecessary interruption, or are they willing to trade their time and data for affordable access to the content they desire? 

Connatix conducted a comprehensive survey — Consumers are Watching; Here’s How They Want Their Video Ads — of over 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18 and above to delve into these queries. The study aims to understand the types of videos consumers prefer, their viewing preferences, and how contextual alignment can impact engagement.

Consumers Will Watch Video Ads But Have Some Requests

Amidst the plethora of digital choices, specific platforms have emerged as top destinations for video consumption. Social channels like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok captured the attention of 81% of those surveyed. Notably, publishers’ websites (45%) and mobile apps (41%) also draw a robust audience. 

However, audience preferences vary by demographic. For instance, younger and more social media-savvy individuals tend to favor social channels, while more affluent viewers and older demographics exhibit a stronger inclination toward publishers’ websites. This diverse pattern underscores publishers’ and advertisers’ need for tailored content strategies to reach their target audiences effectively.

Where and What They Watch: Important Takeaways

Viewer Preferences and Publisher Engagement. Younger generations and lower-income individuals are inclined to watch video content on social media platforms. This preference aligns with their social media savviness and accessibility to such platforms. In contrast, more affluent and older viewers are more likely to visit publishers’ websites for video content. This insight is crucial for publishers aiming to tailor their content experiences to specific demographics and advertisers seeking to broaden their reach effectively.

Content Type Preferences. Viewers under 55 predominantly prefer entertainment videos from publishers, whereas older demographics favor news content. Understanding these content type preferences is vital for publishers to curate and deliver content that resonates with their audience and advertisers to align their messages effectively.

The Importance of Trustworthy News. Trustworthy news is essential for a well-functioning democracy and society. Advertisers utilizing broad keyword blocklists often miss out on highly engaged audiences due to concerns about brand safety. Using platforms like Connatix, which leverage NewsGuard’s ratings, can help advertisers approach news as a category safely and invest in quality journalism, ultimately benefiting both advertisers and publishers.

Viewers Will Trade Their Time and Data for Access to Desired Content. Today’s consumers are well aware of the role advertising plays in granting them access to the desired content. The survey shows their willingness to engage with advertisements, showcasing that viewers are ready to trade their time and data for access to the content they seek. Eighty-four percent of respondents, spanning various demographics, express a readiness to watch a video ad on their favorite website to unlock desired video content. 

Publishers’ Impact: Enhancing the Viewing Experience

Publishers play a vital role in delivering video content to viewers. Publishers should focus on enhancing the viewing experience to cater to evolving viewer expectations. Here are key considerations:

Audio Enhancement: As more consumers watch videos with sound, publishers should consider using audio to enhance stories by incorporating catchy music or valuable voice-overs. This can significantly improve the overall viewing experience and captivate the audience.

Contextual Alignment: Viewers seek alignment between content and ads and between content and recommended articles. Publishers with contextual data can use these insights to recommend additional articles and videos to keep readers engaged and on the site longer. Sharing this data with advertisers can also enable smarter targeting decisions.

Engaging On-Site Experiences: Consumers prefer to stay within a handful of publisher properties rather than jump between multiple destinations to consume content. Publishers can increase viewer engagement by developing captivating on-site experiences that attract desired audiences and encourage longer time spent on their pages.

Understanding consumer preferences and behavior for consuming video content, including advertising, is crucial for both advertisers and publishers. For publishers seeking to capture the surge in video ad spend, adapting strategies to align with these preferences can lead to a more effective and engaging viewer experience, benefitting all stakeholders in the digital advertising ecosystem.

To download the full report, visit Connatix here.

The post Consumers Will Watch Your Video Ads; With Caveats appeared first on AdMonsters.

Videos and video advertising are more than just a combination of sound, sight, and motion. They’re strategic tools for building an audience, regaining trust among the most cynical audiences who have soured on news, and expanding the storytelling capabilities of journalists. That’s all on top of the outstanding CPMs that video units, particularly in-stream ones deliver. In fact, publishers can help their programmatic and sales channels grow their RFPs by offering video.

Don’t think that only the largest and most sophisticated publishers can do video well. According to Anthony Gonsalves, SVP and Head of Global Business Development at Connatix, all publishers can — and should — embark on their video journeys. What’s more, they’re likely to succeed, as long as they follow the new rules of the road. Gonsalves met with AdMonsters to talk about the videos opportunities for publishers of all sizes.

AdMonsters: At the beginning of the year, short-form videos were all the rage. How are they driving things now?

Anthony Gonslaves: It’s been the “year of video” for a great many years, and the only thing that changes is the ideal length for engaging audiences. Here’s my best advice: When it comes to video length, publishers should focus on the platform on which it will sit. They can focus on producing short-form content, or they can do what a lot of mid- and long-form publishers do, which is find the appropriate sections of longer-form content that can be repurposed for short-form video.  Not all publishers have the resources to juggle every type of video, so they should focus on how they create content best and then repurpose it. 

I will say this about short-term video — there is certainly a strong place for the format in mobile and social platforms.

AdMonsters: There’s been a growing trend of news avoidance; a topic we’ve reported on this here at Admonsters. How can publishers use social media to build an audience for their content, and lure the people who avoid the news to their sites?

AG: At the end of the day, video provides the most sensory-filled experience for an audience. In turn, this can obviously drive higher affinity and engagement, which publishers can use to their advantage. I saw a LinkedIn post this week that broke down the role short-form video plays on each platform. For instance, YouTube is for building community, Instagram is for driving commerce, and TikTok is all about awareness; though we are seeing an ever-increasing relationship between TikTok and Amazon lately.

We’ve all discovered and followed content creators on social media, and eventually went directly to their properties to get more substantive information. This is why it’s so important for news organizations to be on those social platforms and leveraging short-form videos to drive engagement and affinity with audiences that are more discerning and frankly, more judgmental about news outlets. Building that connection will allow publishers to convert those social media audiences to their longer-form content, whether it’s written or video. 

AdMonsters: You’re suggesting that publishers can combat news mistrust by using video to engage people in social media?

AG: Yes, publishers can leverage video to build trusting relationships with people. My generation saw this with The Daily Show and Jon Stewart. He took a different approach to delivering news which made him the de facto trusted voice for news for an entire generation.

There are certainly ways in which I think news outlets can leverage in-house talent to create content that connects with a younger audience, then work them through the funnel just as a brand would. With the publisher it starts with short-form video, which then leads to more engagement time on their sites with the written word.

I’m not suggesting that publishers should have a call to actions on those videos. Rather, publishers need to recognize the affinity people have with a journalist or content creator will be a motivation to seek them out. Take sports. Every sports fan has a favorite beat writer that they follow, even from publication to publication. The key is to build a relationship on one platform to make it easier to translate that affinity to another.

AdMonsters: What are the best opportunities for publishers to leverage video today?

AG: In addition to building engagement and audiences as we just talked about, there are a lot of high monetization opportunities for publishers within video. They do need to understand the new rules developed by the IAB Tech Lab around video, such as what qualifies as in-stream. 

Before this year, there were two forms of content: in-stream and out-stream. In-stream is with content and out-stream is without it.

AdMonsters: What are those new rules for in-stream and out-stream?

AG: They’re really about meeting the expectations of the user who opted in to consume the content of a page. In-stream ads are ads that are attached to videos that a viewer requested to watch and play, showing clear user intent. The latest guidelines clarify that sound-on video can be an accurate indicator of consumer intent, but it should not be the only qualifier. The videos can also sound off but are explicitly about the content of the page. In-stream is where the highest CPMs will be.

The new guidelines provided more clarity in the criteria and made way for a new video type; accompanying content. This helps differentiate the relevance between premium, in-stream video, and standalone video ads. In other words, users didn’t come to the page specifically to watch this video; it’s more of an additional or supplementary element. Think of mid-article video placements, many showing contextually relevant content to maintain a good user experience, but is no longer in-stream.

Out-stream rules pertain to advertising that runs standalone or alongside non-video content. 

AdMonsters: Should publishers strive to create in-stream videos for as many articles as possible?

AG: I don’t think video teams should focus on manually creating in-stream video on the top of every page. So I recommend that they first leverage the existing analytics tools they have to understand which articles drive the most traffic, and put videos on the top of those pages that match the intent of focus of the content.

They should also focus on creating original content that has a decent shelf life. These videos require time and expense to create, which means they want them around generating revenue for as long as possible so they can recoup those expenses.

That’s not to say that publishers should disregard videos with an inherently short shelf life, such as those covering breaking or financial news. Rather than starting with a blank canvas and creating a video from scratch, they may want to consider adopting a tool that automates a lot of the work.

AdMonsters: What makes for a good user experience in video?

AG: I think it is a combination of the quality of content, the monetization experience and ensuring that the video is relevant to the page so that it feels native to users. There needs to be an overall sense of purpose of the video so that it enhances the user experience and makes sense for the advertiser.

It’s worth spending time to get this context right because context will grow in importance as the cookie continues to deprecate.

AdMonsters: What do publishers need in order to succeed with video? Do they need to hire a lot of talking heads and videographers with MFAs in film?

AG: It’s interesting you bring up talking heads, which is a format that will work well for publishers that have journalists who are good in front of cameras. We’ve seen it work well in podcasts and in social media. 

It needs to be done respectfully, though. Publishers need to ask their writers if they’re comfortable moving from behind the keyboard and in front of a camera. Many are not, and that’s okay. But for those who are, the editorial team can provide access to tools so that journalists can quickly create videos in their voice without blowing up the budget. After all, writers are great storytellers, and video allows them to expand on that skill. 

AdMonsters: Can all publishers build a video library, even the small and niche ones?

AG: I think video is attainable for publishers of all sizes, especially when we consider the extensive automation that’s come to market. Success is about understanding where automation and custom work combine, and figuring out which social media platforms resonate for the publisher. 

Going back to what I said early, publishers should ask: Is our goal to build an audience? To create a mid-form video that will live on YouTube as well as our site? Do we have enough content to support people who want to engage with us more? Regarding the last question, I do think that between the editorial staff, automation and advances in AI, publishers of all sizes will find it’s possible to create high-quality content regardless of budget.

AdMonsters: So we can look forward to next year being another year of video?

AG: I think we can.

Anthony is Head of Publisher Development, leading a team dedicated to helping premium publishers learn about and get started with the Connatix platform.

His time at Connatix has punctuated the company’s publisher-first philosophy, taking the time to learn about potential publishing partners and finding the right fit for each. His professional experience spans the tech industry and advertising tech, having spent more than 5 years with Outbrain before joining Connatix.

The post The “New Rules” of Video Stories and Advertising: Q&A with Connatix’s Anthony Gonsalves appeared first on AdMonsters.

Leaders in the publishing space face a variety of challenges, some of which are universal regardless of which industry they hail from. At Publisher Forum Coronado Island, we gathered a group of these leaders to learn more about what opportunities they are looking forward to and what challenges they are anticipating in the upcoming months.

Cookies Continue to Cause Concern

We kicked things off by asking publishers about their top priorities going into Q4. Unsurprisingly, the conversation immediately veered toward cookies, and growing privacy concerns and regulations. One publisher noted that their company has identity solutions in place, making cookies less of a worry.

Another ops professional said that most of their traffic is app-driven, which doesn’t require a user login to access. They are already seeing the effect of cookie loss, and they are looking for updated ID solutions to ensure functionality as the industry moves completely away from third-party cookie usage.

The multitude of identity solutions can be a challenge to navigate, said one publisher who is working on improving the addressability percentage of their audience. “We are working really closely with the product team, who works in close partnership with our ad team. We are trying to change our metering settings so we can push as many people as possible from anonymous to logged in and eventually to paid,” they shared.

As first-party data takes over, an attendee whose messaging is delivered across multiple brands via both print and digital said they are working on presenting a cohesive message. They explained, “We are seeing how we can leverage some of our advertising relationships, specifically on the direct side, and how we can push some of those dollars back over and across.”

First-party data can help diversify revenue streams, another discussion participant added. “If you spend X amount of a threshold amount, we will license your first-party data to you, which you can then transact outside however you want,” they shared.

Overall, it seems there is no one-size-fits-all solution for publishers facing the cookie conundrum. It really depends on the publisher’s business, vertical, and audience. The best path forward is a portfolio solution that leverages first-party data, ID solutions, SDAs, Google’s Privacy Sandbox, and for GAM users even PPID. Some publishers are also trialing bringing their data together with advertisers in Data Clean Rooms. The best advice is to test, test test, and test early and test often to find the best approaches for your organization.

The WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strikes Could Impact Publishers

One publisher who has been using first-party data for a while is experiencing a different challenge — the impact of the WGA-SAG-AFTRA strikes. The WGA (Writers Guild of America) has been on strike since May. In July, when the SAG-AFTRA (the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) contract with the American Motion Pictures and Television Producers contract expired, they too joined the picket lines. This has resulted in huge economic consequences for the Hollywood machine and therefore any publishers that are a part of that machine or connected to that machine.

There is still plenty of content to be written that is receiving traffic because people want to know about the strikes, the publisher explained, but ultimately the postponement of major events like the Emmy Awards will impact revenue if the strike isn’t resolved soon. This is particularly true for direct sales numbers.

Another entertainment-focused participant said, “I’m trying to make sure that we are making up for that revenue in other places. A lot of the media entertainment business went to custom ads, necessitating readjustment for that as well as some things that were in production and needed to be postponed for now. It’s important to be aware of what’s happening and understand some teams need to pivot to make money through different verticals.”

A conference guest posed the question, “Will this affect the streaming operators in some manner, for example, will it drive prices down? Or it could drive prices up, which has affected CPMs in the marketplace. There is a potential for increased scarcity.”

The effect on streaming services will likely be dependent on their existing libraries of content, one speaker noted. It’s an interesting time for the strike, as this is happening just as these streaming giants were finally beginning to turn a profit, they added.

Video Content Captivates Younger Consumers

We also asked the publishers who participated in the Leadership Forum if they were seeing more traction in recent months with PMPs (Private Marketplace deals) and PGs (Programmatic Guaranteed) than in the past. One publisher whose media business has been active since the mid-90s noted that their company is producing video content in both horizontal and vertical formats that are performing very well.

“We’re monetizing this content well. For example, in the first month, it accounted for 18 percent of our revenue. With this high quality, high performing video content, we can offer deals to our partners for preferential pricing, or give them a better CPM for a PMP or PG type scenario.” This publisher noted they prioritize delivering compelling content to brand partners.

Another industry leader added, “We’ve definitely found the fastest growing type of content for us is vertical swipe stories. Consumers find it very engaging. If we’re lucky that we have a product that constantly produces clips because generally swipe stories have been very successful, and are easily sponsored.”

The reason this content is so successful, noted the publisher whose site has been active since the 90s, is that it imitates the other content that younger (Gen Z and Millennial) consumers are engaging with daily on social media. While no one knows what will happen in the future, this publisher predicts short-form video content will continue to drive ad revenue.

From a user experience perspective, studies have shown that vertical videos are inherent to the nature of how people use their phones making that experience more immersive. Also, swiping stories is not only more interactive it makes users feel as if they are getting access to exclusive content, which makes this opportunity prime for advertisers looking to sponsor these experiences. And with video ad spend projected to reach $55.2B in 2023, the time is ripe for publishers to dive into this opportunity.

Talking Through Publisher Pain Points

When we initially brought up workflow and data issues, it seemed that no one really wanted to talk about where the challenges were. Then one publisher mentioned standardization as a huge hurdle for ensuring everything runs smoothly.

“The connections break constantly, maybe because of a change a partner makes. A partner’s column for email reports stops running daily, or they have a comma that wasn’t there before and it’s really frustrating. There’s not a ton of standardization with all the different analytic UIs. Maybe some SSPs are not as sophisticated as others, but now we’re running into the issue of they either don’t prioritize being able to email reports or they simply ‘don’t do’ email reporting. It’s an industry issue, I think it’s a non-standardization issue, and it’s painful,” this publisher explained.

The problems of data breakages today are the same as 10 years ago, noted another publisher. Getting your data isn’t a streamlined process and by the time you get your analytics, it is often too late to make actionable decisions.

Those in attendance agreed that it is important to standardize the way data is presented to make sure everyone is speaking the same language. The majority also agreed it is difficult to get valuable information out of analytical data if there is a ton of data collected because it can lead to information overload.

Differentiation in a Changing World

As the industry continues to evolve, partnerships do too. One participant said it is harder than ever to sell directly because of the ability to procure and manage channels and TV deals. “In direct sales now you have to go in with something unique and differentiated that’s going to stand out. Something that’s maybe even PR worthy.”

Heading into Q4, there are a lot of things that are changing or are uncertain, particularly as first-party data becomes the norm. Looking forward, one advantage we have is the experience of being part of an industry that is always evolving, which makes it easier to roll with these changes as they come.

In today’s landscape, with advertisers tightening their campaign budgets, publishers face the challenge of standing out to attract brands to their platforms. The key to success lies in the ability to provide comprehensive performance data that’s easily accessible to all relevant teams. Without it, opportunities for increased revenue go untapped.

Empowering AdOps with enhanced tools and streamlined workflows to share these valuable insights could revolutionize how client-facing teams engage with advertisers. Armed with data-backed insights, they can foster more meaningful discussions on campaign performance.

The ripple effect? Not only does this foster repeat business but also positions publishers with the data-driven arsenal needed to attract new advertisers within their niche. It’s all about unlocking untapped potential in a changing ad tech landscape.

The post Leading the Way: Ops Leaders Share Predictions and Pain Points at PubForum appeared first on AdMonsters.

Audio advertising may take the ad spend throne soon, at least according to Dentsu’s findings. In collaboration with Lumen Research, Dentsu conducted a study to measure attention in audio advertising and the medium is 56% higher than Dentsu’s traditional targeting metrics.

This comprehensive study delves into the booming audio advertising industry, exploring its effectiveness across different formats and environments, including podcasts, radio, and music streaming. The findings are poised to reshape how advertisers perceive and leverage the power of audio ads, shedding light on their ability to capture attention and drive brand outcomes.

Participants interacted with audio environments in line with their native experiences, such as podcasts or radio stations. Afterward, they participated in Dentsu’s Attention Economy Survey to gauge ad recall and brand choice uplift. The study hinged on Lumen’s attention score which is based on audio listening data, survey results, and ad exposure types.

The Journey into Audio Attention

Credit: dentsu

Dentsu has been at the forefront of the Attention Economy for over five years, emphasizing the value of engagement in video and display channels. Now, with their foray into audio attention, they aim to redefine the industry’s understanding of the impact of audio ads on consumer behavior and brand recognition. 

Doug Rozen, CEO of Dentsu Media Americas, emphasizes the importance of this milestone: “This enables us to uniquely serve clients by proving the value of their audio, video, and display ads based on real engagement measures that drive growth.”

Impressive Findings: Audio Ads Take Center Stage

The studies conducted by Dentsu and Lumen unveiled remarkable insights into the potency of audio advertising. The data speaks for itself:

Average Attentive Seconds: Audio advertising, spanning podcasts, radio, and music streaming, achieved an impressive average of 10,126 attentive seconds per (000) APM (Average Persons Measured), surpassing Dentsu’s established norms of 6,501 APM for attention.

Brand Recall: 41% of audio ads exhibited correct brand recall, outperforming the 38% benchmark for other ad platforms, mostly video-oriented.

Brand Choice Uplift: Audio ads generated a remarkable 10% uplift in brand choice metrics, surpassing the 6% norm for other ad formats.

Unveiling Strengths Across Audio Formats

The study’s depth extended beyond these general statistics, revealing the unique strengths of various audio formats:

Podcasts: The podcast realm, encompassing participants like Audacy, Cumulus Media, iHeartMedia, Spotify, and SXM Media, emerged as a powerhouse regarding attentive seconds per thousand impressions. Host-read ads within podcasts exhibited superior brand choice uplift compared to traditional audio ads.

Radio: Audiences engaged significantly with radio advertising from Audacy, Cumulus Media, and iHeartMedia, with higher attentive seconds per thousand impressions than benchmarks in digital, social, and TV domains. Moreover, radio proved ten times more efficient than online video ads in generating brand recall.

Music Streaming: Amazon Music’s study provided insights into the efficacy of audio ads in this domain. The highest brand recall was associated with ad-supported streaming music on Alexa-enabled devices, and 30-second ads on these devices produced heightened brand choice uplift.

Transforming Audio Advertising Landscape

As the advertising landscape evolves, this study marks a pivotal moment. Joanne Leong, global head of planning at Dentsu, highlights how this research arms the agency with the ability to elevate conversations around audio ad spend and justify investments in this oft-overlooked realm. The study’s implications also extend to video ads, underscoring the value of “sound on” for impactful engagement and brand recall.

By tapping into the unique strengths of audio formats and harnessing their attention-grabbing potential, brands can forge deeper connections with their audiences and pave the way for an innovative era of advertising. Dentsu’s study serves as a reminder that audio deserves a spotlight in the oversaturated advertising landscape.

If Dentsu successfully changes the market’s perceptions, publishers who have yet to dip their toes in the audio arena might want to catch up quickly. Audio could soon be on the heels of the video regarding ad spend. 

The post Unlocking the Power of Audio Ads: New Research Reveals Their Impact on Attention and Brand Outcomes appeared first on AdMonsters.

You can’t control the cards life deals you, but you can control how you play the game. 

Mike Richter’s experience is a testament to that as he navigated his childhood in NC, pursued a hairstylist and make-up artist career, and ventured into the ad tech industry. His mantra, “that every moment we live through leads us to the path we are on right now,” has kept him thriving through hardship and success. 

In this current era — marked by a recession and a two-month break in Europe — Richter is still working toward defining the next chapter in his book, but he is optimistic about what the future holds. 

“Part of what has helped me build my superpowers is going through adversity,” said Richter. “We all have superpowers. Everybody’s collection of superpowers is unique to their experiences and what they’ve learned from them. My superpowers come from my experiences. They come from me learning through the path that I’m taking and the steps I choose to take. It informs me of how to move forward in the future and allows me to be me.”

Andrew Byrd: Can you give me a little background on where you grew up, your childhood and how that influenced you today?

Mike Richter: I always refer to myself as a first-generation Southerner. I was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. My dad and mom came from the North — the Bronx and Philly. 

I always pushed convention and worked against the status quo, even as young as two or three. I would have fun fashions where I would not leave the house if I didn’t have two different color crew socks and so on. 

Especially so in high school, as I discovered that I was gay. When I came out of the closet, I joined GLSEN. I pioneered the initiative that formed the first GSA in Charlotte, North Carolina; most schools in the city now have one. I constantly work to try to make the world a better place or a more accessible place for others that experience similar adversity. 

AB: Did the adversity halt you from coming out? 

MR: No, I dealt with that adversity for a long time. Did that adversity lead me to be more apprehensive about coming out? A little bit. But it also gave me the thick skin needed to come out to my mom and dad, who were super supportive. 

Today, as I stand in Paris on the eve of my 35th birthday, I feel so much more accomplished than I ever thought I would be at this point in my life. I loved all the experiences that I’ve had despite some of the adversity I went through. 

AB: How did you start working in ad tech? 

MR: Just like everyone in ad tech, it just happened. Nobody chose to work in the ad tech industry that I know of because nobody goes to school for it. It’s something that you discover and become part of, and it’s an industry that, once you become part of it, it’s one that you generally don’t want to leave. Because it’s exciting, and it’s fun, and it’s different, and the people are amazing. And it’s something that I’m thankful to be a part of every day.

I originally went to school for marketing, but I never finished. Then I started to pursue a career as a hairstylist and makeup artist, but that career was halted after dealing with a significant change. I was diagnosed with HIV, and I felt lost. Maybe if I had been aware of some of the various programs we have today, I would have made a different decision, but life turned out the way it was supposed to. Every moment we go through in life leads us on the path we’re on right now, and that was mine. I eventually decided to go back to school and finish my degree. As I was finishing, I got the opportunity to start selling ads at a local television station.

Thank you to those that believed in me during that time and gave me the chance to start my career. A special shout-out to Tiffany, you know you are. From there, one thing led to another, and I learned about the local TV and digital industry. Then, one random day, I saw that the company I worked for had opened up a new division called Premion in New York City. I put my name in the hat for it and joined the team. From there, it has been a super fun rollercoaster of nonstop UPS downs, twists, and turns.

AB: I wanted to ask how you started working in CTV, but you’ve been working in the TV space since the start of your ad tech career. As someone who has watched it develop over time, where do you see the space evolving over the next few years? 

MR: CTV first came out because people wanted to change how they consume TV. People were unhappy with how they consumed TV for several different reasons. They could not control what they were watching, it cost too much money, or they saw more ads than content on some other channels. So, the control started with new technologies that allow people to watch video on demand, also known as VOD, which opened up a whole new world for the audience. It gave them a choice of when and how they could watch their content.

In the early 2010s, technology was already out because the first Roku was sold in 2001, but took over a decade before this started taking off. Twenty years ago, they didn’t have the means to support the vast consumption that people will utilize today. In addition, smart televisions and devices weren’t easily affordable. Now they are, which allows people to access them and start consuming television how they want to see it, either with fewer or no ads, and choosing the content they want. But many people still need access to a high stream, high capacity, or high-speed broadband. 

People look at CTV versus traditional TV and the difference in how it’s delivered. What about the difference in how it’s packaged and accessed, not through the hardware or the pathways, but the packaging in which we pay for it?

Do I see CTV continuing to take off? Yes, that’s inevitable. But that’s not the important factor. The important factor is how we distribute it. That’s what governs how we advertise within apps and how we monetize it.

AB: As you know, change is constant in the ad tech industry and the recession has forced many to change their career path at a sudden notice. I know it took a lot of vulnerability to share your story on LinkedIn. What do you make of this time in the industry and your own personal experience with it? Where are you hoping this time takes you? 

MR: I’m grateful to be fortunate enough that despite losing my job, I am hopeful about the future. I can support myself and Finn and take the time to live in Europe for two months to take a break. I am still determining what to make of this time. It goes back to what I said earlier. You can’t control the path that you’re on, but you can control the steps that you take.

The thing I love most about this industry is the people. I’ve made some fantastic friends, some of whom I call family, but this industry is like a family. This industry will show up and put back into you what you put into it. After making the announcement on LinkedIn, I started talking to mentors and friends who gave me advice, guidance, and confidence that helped lift me up.

And so to all of my friends, colleagues, former team members, future team members, and partners in the space, thank you. Thank you for contributing to every step in my career, from the debut to the end, but it’s not over yet. This is simply a cliff-hanging chapter, and it’s not the end of the book. Be on the lookout for new ventures ahead because exciting things are in the works. 

The post Ad Tech Veteran Mike Richter: The Power of Community and the Power Built From Experience appeared first on AdMonsters.

We used to buy almost everything in person until online shopping became more popular. During the pandemic, many shifted to purchasing most of their items online, including essentials like groceries. 

This comfort with shopping for goods online has opened up a new world of ecommerce, including shopping from the comfort of your living room couch. 

In a session at Ops NYC, “Shoppable TV: Shaping E-commerce’s Future with Unique Consumer Experiences,” moderated by Marika Roque, Chief Innovation Officer & Chief Operating Officer for KERV and featuring Miles Fisher, Senior Director Ad Platforms & Growth Sales for Roku, and Amie Owen, US Head of Commerce for Universal McCann Worldwide, Inc. gave attendees a glimpse into the future of ecommerce. 

How Users Interact with Shoppable TV

COVID significantly changed the retail and ecommerce spaces, says Owen, “I am super excited to be in the space because the convergence of retail and data allows us to really have that shoppable moment for everybody no matter where they are in their journey.”  

Focusing on the holistic TV experience, Roku is extending that to what it means to shop via TV, notes Fisher. For example on TV, a call to action used to feature a flashing phone number on a television screen during an ad, but now a call to action might direct the consumer to visit a website or complete an action using their mobile device. 

Since Roku is a subscription service, the streamer has built a direct relationship with 70 million consumers. This gives them access to email addresses, phone numbers, and credit card info, which provides more insight into who is watching when.

Ensuring positive user experiences with shoppable TV isn’t all that different from creating great experiences online. To achieve that, data plays a huge part in keeping users engaged, says Owen. Post-COVID shopping happens in more ways than before the pandemic, so understanding shopping behaviors can inform which ads to show consumers on their journey.

Best Practices and Strategies to Succeed With Shoppable

As more streaming services buy into the value of Shoppable TV, there will likely be hiccups along the way. Owen suggests three strategies to help make sure everything runs smoothly:

1. Figure out your overall objectives, KPIs, and who you are trying to reach. 
2. Make sure your messaging is tailored to who you are reaching out to and what you are trying to accomplish. 
3. Continue to evolve and keep your pulse on the way the landscape is changing, because everything could be different as early as tomorrow. 

And what works on mobile or desktop, doesn’t necessarily work for TV. “The production quality that people are used to on television is very different. And one of the things that we’re really focused on is making TV more accessible for other people to advertise,” notes Fisher. The cost per impression for TV is lower, but it’s worth taking some of that budget and putting it into production, he adds. 

Roku is also working on making TV as shoppable as social. Consumers are already accustomed to picking up a remote while watching TV, and Fisher believes the remote will be a powerful tool going forward. Roku is also looking into ways to create interactive overlays that will encourage people to use their mobile devices to complete a purchase, with QR codes continuing to be a piece of the puzzle. 

Approaching the Consumer at the Right Time and in the Right Way

Regardless of the way it happens, converting sales comes down to creating a call to action and offering the consumer something valuable in exchange for their information. All of this circles back to understanding audiences through the data they share. 

When Roku partnered with DoorDash to offer customers a $5 off coupon if they ordered in real-time, it was a way to surprise and delight them, Fisher says. That’s just one way to deliver value. 

Then there’s how retail data can help brands close the attribution loop. UM Worldwide partnered directly with Kroger to leverage their first-party data to reach users who purchase beauty products, which led to a threefold increase in return over the previous results, shares Owen.

Partnering with different companies and sharing data in a way that remains privacy safe – which is crucial – can help increase leads, Fisher agrees. The ROI results from these partnerships can sometimes even be seen in real-time. Other times, it may take six to eight weeks for data to be available. 

The Future of Shoppable TV

In the next year, the shoppable TV sector could look completely different. So what about in five to 10 years?

In the next year to three years, Fisher predicts there will be an increase in the video quality of TV ads, possibly aided by AI technology. TV is built for mass marketers to succeed and they will likely continue to do so, he adds. 

In the next five to 10 years, Owen predicts that consumers won’t only be shopping through TV, but through a variety of smart appliances. From the refrigerator that keeps an inventory of what you have stocked to the laundry machine that calculates how many loads of laundry you do in a typical month and prompts you to reorder detergent through Amazon, there will be a whole home ecosystem of places to shop. 

The post Is Shoppable TV The Future Of Consumer Purchasing? appeared first on AdMonsters.

In August 2022, the IAB Tech Lab released a set of video ad standards that changed the definition of instream and outstream video. 

The updated guidelines defined instream video as sound on and playing before, during, or after streaming video content that the user requested, delivering within a player, monetizing content the publisher provided, and including linear and nonlinear ads, which didn’t need to be videos.

Unfortunately, those updates created a challenging video ad landscape for publishers, especially smaller ones. About 90% of what used to be considered instream inventory was now labeled outstream. In addition, it restricted plenty of quality inventory from being labeled as instream, thus wounding both publishers’ and advertisers’ capabilities. 

To remedy this mistake, the IAB Tech Lab has further amended their 2022 video ad updates to redefine the meaning of instream and outstream video inventory. 

Jenn Chen, President and CRO, Connatix 

Andrew Byrd: Can you walk me through, more specifically, exactly how publishers were struggling with the previous standards?

Jenn Chen: The industry had standards to define instream, but they needed to explain it more clearly. Part of the new definition puts the onus on the publisher to amend how their videos are showing. The video will either have audio or have a bunch of other things to oversimplify it. 

The challenge was a surprise because tons of publishers have excellent video content. For years, they intentionally showed video content without audio, even if there was an abysmal experience because it’s very interruptive for the user. Consequently, most of what they want to convert will take time and investment. 

Even if they don’t want to convert to audio, they have to make highly relevant videos and create something from scratch that matches the article exactly, or they have to change their entire page layout to conform to some of these other requirements. It began a slippery slope where the industry struggled to monetize the video inventory. It has implications for their business model and how advertisers perceive their website’s quality. It also created a new way of pricing a marketplace and a much more rigorous and calculated approach to defining video.

Luca Bozzo, Associate Director Programmatic Partnerships, Connatix

Andrew Byrd: The recent video ad updates were to help rectify the challenges the initial standards created. What are the more recent updates? 

Luca Bozzo: The working group set out to solve some of these issues by slightly expanding the definition of instream to the root of its meaning. The heart of instream is simply video that the consumer requested and consumed. For example, if a consumer searches YouTube for a video and clicks on it, that is instream content. 

But there are other ways to signal intent other than sound on. Sound on is one way, but if a consumer clicks to start the video experience, that can infer intent to consume. Suppose they go to the video section of a website. In that case, there’s nothing else to watch other than video content, so even if it starts witj sound off, it technically still would be content that the consumer requested and hence instream. The main goal at first was to broaden that definition. 

Chris Kane, Founder, Jounce Media

Andrew Byrd: You have a very well-rounded overview of the state of the internet and the supply chain. How do you think the struggle to define instream vs. outstream affects the supply chain overall? 

Chris Kane: Every ad tech company, The Trade Desk, Google, Magnite, and PubMatic, has inventory quality standards, which tend to be extensive sprawling documents. It is impossible to enforce those policies comprehensively. The goals are aspirational. This is how we would like to run our ad tech platform, recognizing that we will never achieve 100% compliance with these policies, but we’re striving to get as close to 100% as possible.

There was some ambiguity in the definition of instream versus outstream. It was hard for DSPs to enforce an ambiguous standard, and the video supply landscape got sloppy over the last five years. That’s the backdrop for why IAB Tech Lab, Connatix, The Trade Desk, and others are trying to get organized on video standards.

AB: The next step is to establish these new guidelines as an industry standard, and the Trade Desk announced that they would start implementing the new measures. Will this help move the needle along? 

CK: I’m more pessimistic about this than I was a couple of weeks ago. The first step that needs to happen in the industry is that the IAB tech lab needs to build consensus around a standard, and they’ve done that. They struck out the first go-round, but now there’s a consensus around this new set of criteria. Now some powerful ad tech company needs to go and enforce those standards. Nobody needs to comply until a giant buyer says you must comply, or I’m not spending money.

That means that The Trade Desk or Google must start enforcing the standards. If they required accurate video inventory labeling, that would push the industry in a good direction.

Paul Bannister, Chief Strategy Officer, Raptive

Andrew Byrd: The end goal for the updates is to create industry-wide standards. Is this something the ad tech industry needs to work on? 

Paul Bannister: Standardization benefits every advertising medium — CTV, video display, mobile, etc. The more we can standardize and increase transparency, the more we can make it so buyers know what they’re buying and feel they can trust who they’re buying from. Sign us up all day to make those standards happen and push those things forward — a cleaner, more transparent, and more well-lit industry creates more opportunities for publishers, advertisers, and creators to win.

The post IAB Tech Lab’s Video Ad Guidelines: The Journey to Industry-Wide Implementation appeared first on AdMonsters.

But many players throughout the advertising ecosystem have used AI and machine learning to increase productivity, create more meaningful dashboards, and serve more relevant content and advertising to audiences.

So it comes as no surprise, the EX.CO, a leading publisher-first video tech platform would boost its video offering for publishers, especially after acquiring Bibblio, an AI and machine learning company. The ad tech company’s new AI-driven content recommendations and premium video libraries for publishers will identify the most contextually relevant video for each article and the highest-yielding feed for a page on a publisher’s site.

I spoke with Tom Pachys, CEO and Co-Founder, EX.CO, to learn more about the launch, as well as how EX.CO increases value for publishers by streamlining the supply path, and how AI can help fix ad tech’s sustainability issue.

Lynne d Johnson: AI is all the hype right now because of the popularity of Generative AI. You recently launched AI-driven content recommendations, after acquiring Bibblio, an AI and machine learning company. You guys already provided content recommendations, how do these enhancements improve upon what you already do?

Tom Pachys: EX.CO as a technology company always believed machine learning should be used to solve problems that are impossible to solve. As part of our online video platform, we’ve invested years in creating AI-based algorithms to improve monetization yield. While the buy side had AI-based technology since the early days, publishers never had access to such advantages without the likes of EX.CO.

After our acquisition of Bibblio, we were able to further enhance our offering using machine learning to select the most relevant video content as well. By using such technology, we enable publishers to always show the most relevant or highest-yielding video on each page. This is one of a few enhancements to our video content capabilities, another one being a premium video library with over 50,000 videos in different verticals that will now be available to our customers.

LdJ: Why should publishers care about this new feature in your video technology platform? What are the benefits for them?

TP: Our new content recommendations have proven to increase revenue up to as much as 17% for publishers, so this is a meaningful boost. With this new enhancement to our player technology, the video shown on each page of a publisher’s site will be the one most contextually relevant to the content of the article that video is placed in, which leads to a more personalized and engaging experience. In addition to revenue growth, our contextually relevant videos have improved visitor dwell time by nearly 50% on average. We’re very excited to bring that type of innovation to the publishing industry. It’s really a win-win all around for publishers and their audiences.

LdJ: And for buyers, how does this change things for them in terms of campaign performance or campaign management?

TP: We’re equally excited about how these new capabilities will impact advertisers as we are publishers. First, we pride ourselves on representing the shortest path to the inventory; we believe in reducing mediators and increasing value to the publisher. When brands and agencies buy inventory from EX.CO or the publishers that are working with EX.CO, their video ads will be seen by the most engaged audiences and within the most relevant video content. Users that watch more personalized videos really lean in more to the content they are consuming which can only improve brand recognition, brand recall, and purchase intent. That’s really what everyone has been waiting for, isn’t it?

LdJ: As much as people are excited about AI, AI also gets a bad rap for either going off the rails, as we’ve seen with some ChatGPT examples. But also bias has been a big issue that AI has been called out for. I mean the technology is only as smart as the data it’s being fed. Can you tell us about the human involvement that goes into your AI-based algorithms to ensure that publishers are actually serving the most contextually relevant video for users without any of these issues that have been concerning about AI’s future?

TP: It’s true; the algorithms are only as smart as the data they are being fed and the investment in building them. While we could look at engagement data for a user like dwell time, frequency of visits, etc. this tells us very little about what the content (and in extension, the algorithm) is doing to a person’s emotional response.

We understand a multidisciplinary approach is needed to achieve great results. It’s not only context that is important but also, recency of the article, popular interest, semantic analysis, safety filtering,  and other metadata such as tags and categories. This makes it a very pure, contextual algorithm with very little potential to cause negative impact. The challenge is achieving the human “wow factor” of generative AI while balancing the different publisher’s needs.

Many of the issues you are referring to tend to be more prominent when the technology is working on huge data sets including UGC where the fundamental “nutritional” value of the content is obviously less controlled. Our challenge is often the opposite: how to create a good recommendation on a much smaller sized data set (library of videos) while making the recommendation both relevant and accepted by journalists and editors working under a defined set of moral and ethical standards.

LdJ: And what about sustainability? That’s a big issue in the advertising ecosystem right now as everyone is thinking about being more responsible and hitting their carbon emissions targets. Well, as AI grows, so does its carbon footprint. Are you guys thinking about doing anything to make sure your technology is not becoming part of the larger problem? 

TP: When looking at the publishing industry, one of its biggest polluting components is the inefficient use of on-page ads. Most of the industry works with a “spray and pray” approach—more vendors, more requests—which leads to more pollution. We believe AI is the solution to that. Our biggest focus is supply path optimization, making the value chain more efficient which boosts our customers’ bottom-line revenues as well as supports the environment. EX.CO is pushing that agenda in all force and I believe we’ll see big positive changes in the industry in the coming years.

The post Ex.Co Gets Into the AI Content Recommendation Business: A Chat with CEO Tom Pachys appeared first on AdMonsters.

It centers the individual to gain success on their own. 

Cedric J. Rogers, Co-Founder and CEO of Culture Genesis Inc., proclaims a different type of success. A success centered around support from and for your community. 

Rogers grew up in Houston raised by a family of entrepreneurs. While his parents taught him to work hard for his accomplishments, they also led him to use his resources to give back to those in need. Those lessons still ring true in his business style today. 

From creating startups to owning one of the largest Black-owned digital networks with Youtube ad sales rights, Rogers has always invested in the Black community and ensured that others benefited from the wealth and resources he acquired. 

To honor his legacy and the history he continues to make, we chatted with him about his career in digital media and ad tech, the benefits of investing in BIPOC media, and his mission to uplift the Black community. 

Started From the Bottom

Andrew Byrd: How did you start your digital media and tech career? 

Cedric J. Rogers: I spent most of my career at Apple. I started as a system engineer and transitioned to developer relations working on apps. But my background is in digital technology applications and coding.

Afterward, I got into startup culture. I created a startup called Prizm, which exposed young people to other people of color doing remarkable things. I wanted to open their eyes to opportunities outside their environments. I also created a startup called LookLive Inc., centered around men’s fashion. 

I then moved to the Bay Area and launched Culture Genesis. I co-founded the company with Shaun Newsum, an engineer from New York. Our goal with Culture Genesis was to build a platform for creators of color to help monetize their products. That was always our vision. 

We started building out by partnering with celebrities like Steve Harvey and Kevin Hart. We expanded into a network of channels, including comedy, music, and poetry. We started working with other digital publishers and creators, and now we have the only Black-owned network with YouTube ad sales rights. So there’s a significant increase in revenue for creators and publishers that work with us. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Community-Focused Business

AB: You are a major investor in multicultural publishers and creators worldwide. Why was this mission a vital part of your business? 

CJR: I grew up in Houston, and my parents were entrepreneurs. From a very early age, they instilled in me that you help your community while making money. I watched my parents build their businesses as a kid and how they served the people around them simultaneously. Of course, making money is great, but I want to make an impact with my resources. I want to make money, but I also want to push our community forward. We wanted to do something for the culture, and that’s the core. That’s how I started everything, honestly.

FUBU: For Us, By Us

AB: You are the founder of Culture Genesis, that’s known as one of the largest Black-owned digital networks. Did you imagine this for yourself at the start of your career? What does holding this title mean to you? 

CJR: It was different from our initial goal. We saw ourselves building a platform similar to Steve Jobs. We saw ourselves in someone like Black billionaire Robert L. Johnson, who amassed his wealth through the media. 

A great deal of wealth comes from the media, so it’s not surprising that I landed here. That’s the beauty of technology. We no longer need what used to be to build successful companies. 

In addition, people of color over-index in the media because we lead with the culture and have so much influence nationally and globally. Our talents and our culture are all encompassed in the media through music, entertainment, and sports. I want to leverage technology with my resources to help us get better distribution. Often we have the content, and we have talent, but we need the distribution to be able to monetize our content. As technologists, we want to leverage our skills to do that for our people.

AB: In 2021, Culture Genesis Inc. gained $5 million in revenue after gaining YouTube ad sales rights. You invested a significant amount of that revenue into Black-owned media. Do you see Black-owned media brands gaining more support in recent years? What would you say to investors who do not see Black-owned media or Black audiences as a valuable asset to their business? 

CJR: In general, black-owned entities in the media have gained more investment, but more is needed. The investment, first and foremost, has to come from our community. We need to support and invest in ourselves. Although, we also need others outside of our community to invest in us. 

For example, Robert L Johnson, the co-founder of BET, mentioned that he was fortunate because people invested in him very early on to help his company. Black people invested in his business, as did people outside the community. 

There’s a great wealth of untapped business opportunities within our communities. They may need help understanding the challenges these entrepreneurs solve, but that means there’s an opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to the table. That’s what we need all investors to understand. Communities of color are valuable audiences and entrepreneurs with a wealth of knowledge and skill to change the game. They just need the right opportunities. 

AB: What final words of advice would you give to upcoming Black media owners who want to follow in your footsteps? How should we continue uplifting Black Media and consumers? 

CJR: The first thing is, you have to believe in yourself. You must find a vision that feels true to you and that you’re passionate about and work diligently towards that goal. You must keep chopping wood daily and find that consistent practice that helps you stay centered in your work. You’ll find that people can’t stay centered on things long enough, and that’s a big part of success. It is a marathon rather than a sprint. 

When it comes to media, we have to continue to invest in ourselves, network, and be willing to give as much as we want to receive. That’s what’s also worked well for me. I’m open to supporting others’ endeavors, which is how you get ahead. 

To read more stories in our Black History Month series, check out:

• 10 Black Ad Tech Professionals Making Waves in Digital Media and Advertising
• Celebrating Black Pioneers in Ad Tech — Charles Cantu, Reset Digital
• Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Legacy of Louis Jones, Brand Safety Institute
• A Seat at the Table With Lashawnda Goffin, CEO, Colossus SSP 

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